China to provide additional $30m flood aid

ISLAMABAD Liu Jian, Ambassador of China to Pakistan, called on the Prime Minister to convey the message of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao that the Chinese Government would immediately provide an additional assistance of US $30 million for the flood relief efforts. China has already committed relief assistance worth $20 million for the Pakistans flood victims in the past weeks and this additional contribution would raise the total of its assistance to $50 million. The Chinese Ambassador also informed the Prime Minister that a field hospital manned by 55 male and female doctors from his country was already operational in Sindh, another mobile hospital, mostly manned by the female doctors of Peoples Liberation Army, would reach Pakistan within next few days. Chinese Government has decided to dispatch more army helicopters to take part in rescue and relief efforts. The Ambassador also pointed out that cash donations of $310,000 from only two Chinese entrepreneurs were deposited into Prime Ministers Relief Fund Account operated by Pakistan Embassy in Beijing earlier on Monday, and thus the total of Chinese people and private sectors donations to Prime Ministers Relief Fund had now exceeded $1 million mark. He said that the provincial and local Governments in China had also been mobilised to contribute directly to help the Pakistani flood victims. The Chinese Ambassador underscored that the assistance announced so far by the Government of China was only for the immediate rescue and relief activities. He said that he had been directed to assure the Prime Minister that the Chinese Government would also stand by Pakistan during the rehabilitation and reconstruction phases by making substantial additional contributions in the future. The Chinese Ambassador enquired from the Prime Minister about Pakistans immediate needs in the relief activities. The Prime Minister told him that tents were the foremost need of the hour to provide temporary shelter to the affected people. The Chinese Ambassador informed him that 10,000 tents would be supplied to Pakistan through ten chartered flights within next few days. The Prime Minister asked the Chinese Ambassador to convey his personal as well as of people and Govt of Pakistans profound gratitude to the Chinese President and Premier for their expression of solidarity, support and assistance for the victims of the ongoing natural disaster in Pakistan.